Relaxing Adventures For Labor Day Weekend

Though we most likely have quite a few warm weather days ahead of us still, Labor Day weekend traditionally marks the end of summer for many. There are many events happening over the long weekend to say farewell to the season.

Now in its 15th year, it is safe to say that Thumbfest has become a tradition in Lexington, Michigan. Featuring multiple stages, workshops, jam sites, children’s stage area, dance, craft/food vendors and a hootenanny at the end of the night, Thumbfest 2018 will be held in the village’s Tierney Park on
Saturday. It starts at 11 am and will have a wide variety of music ranging from Celtic,
blues, bluegrass and gypsy to New Orleans brass, Americana, roots and folk. Bring your lawn chair or blanket, your friends and family and voice and join in on the fun. Find the full schedule at the
Thumbfest website.

What started as a backyard party at a home in Fort Gratiot Township has now grown into a
celebration at St. Clair County’s largest public park. The annual BlueChiliGrass Festival is at
Goodells County Park on Sunday and Monday and will feature continuous music on 2 stages and a chili cook-off.

Before heading to BlueChiliGrass on Monday, why not Trek The Trestle? This five mile Labor Day
event has been held annually since 2007. The walk starts at 9 am at the at the Avoca Road Trailhead
in Downtown Avoca and crosses the 640ft. Mill Creek trestle, the longest bridge of its kind in the
state of Michigan. The Trestle Trek is one of the Labor Day Community Walks that are held
throughout the state in conjunction with the Mackinac Bridge Labor Day Walk. Community Walks help provide a similar experience to residents unable to participate in the annual walk across the Mighty Mac.

When you dip a chip do you like it mild? Or perhaps spicy is your thing.No matter your flavor preference this Saturday's Salsa Tasting in Harbor Beach has something to tantalize your taste buds from 11 in the morning to 2 pm. Your tour begins at the Harbor Beach Visitor’s Center where you purchase a button and ballot for $2. Then stroll downtown following your map to be sure to stop at all salsa tasting locations. After you are done vote for your favorite.

Don't wait til noon to start your adventure in Harbor Beach this Saturday though. Hop on the boat taxi and take a ride out to tour the Harbor Beach Lighthouse. The taxi leaves the Harbor Beach Marina starting at 9:20 am and then about every 20 minutes until 40 minutes before closing time. Tickets are $20 each and also include admission to the Harbor Beach Grice House Museum, which houses the original Fresnel Lens from the lighthouse.  Find out more about the Harbor Beach Lighthouse at their website.

If browsing some art is your thing, the Blue Water Area has a couple shows that are just the thing for Labor Day weekend too.

Port Austin's Art In The Park will have many original artworks to look at and for sale for sale this Saturday and Sunday. With a wide array of mediums including everything from watercolor, oil, acrylic and photography to decorative iron work, stained and fused glass, gourd art, hand carved ice fishing decoys, and wearable art, there is sure to be something to catch your eye. Art In The Park is presented by the Thumb Arts Guild.

From one end of the Blue Water Area to the other the city of Algonac is holding its Annual Art Fair this Saturday and Sunday too. With the St. Clair River serving as a picturesque backdrop, the fair was started in 1972 and has continued ever since. With around 100 artists as well as entertainment for all ages this fair is a fine way to spend the day in the river flats region of the Blue Water Area. Find out more about the Algonac Art Fair at their website.

Just a quick ferry ride over from Algonac is Harsens Island. This weekend they'll be having days filled with family fun! The Harsens Island Lions Club Turkey Shoot happening includes parades, food and beer tent, live music, dancing, 50/50 drawings and daily raffles along with kids, teens and young adults games and activities. Find out more by visiting the Harsens Island Lions Club on Facebook.

Discover all the happenings around the Blue this month at our events page.

Celebrating Hot Wheels and Harvest Time: What's happening this weekend in the Blue Water Area

He's got a star on his car and one on his chest. That's the way Junior Brown starts out his story of the highway patrol.

This weekend him and his "guit-steel" (a double-necked hybrid of electric guitar and lap steel guitar that he fashioned himself) will be telling that tale along with many other honk-tonk yarns when he headlines Marysville's Hot Wheels Weekend this Saturday.

Along with Junior on several other bands, there will be many cool old cars on display along with an appearance from Catherine Bach aka the Daisy Duke from the original Dukes Of Hazzard TV series.

On the 4th weekend of August every year the St. Clair County Farm Museum gives you a taste of Yesteryear. It is a celebration of American heritage and a salute to our forefathers and women that made America great. At the Harvest Festival, which runs from Friday through Sunday, this weekend antique tractors, equipment, hit and miss engines, homesteading and fashions from the era will be on display and the history of daily life will be relived.

Looking for your lost shaker salt? You may find it in Lexington this weekend as it is MargaritaFest time in the village. It great time to get tropical on Michigan's eastern shores.

If craft beer and fine wine are more of your thing, visit Algonac for a Sip of Summer this Saturday. The Waterfront Beer, Wine & Cocktail Festival will feature 100+ beers and wines from over 40 breweries and wineries from across the state and around the globe. Get tickets and more info here.

Next weekend marks not only the end of the month but Labor Day weekend as well. Amongst the things to do over that three day weekend include art shows in Algonac and Port Austin, Thumbfest in Lexington, the Harsens Island Turkey Shoot, Harbor Beach's SalsaFest, BlueChiliGrass in Goodells and the Trestle Trek. Find out about many of the things happening at our events page.

Snazzy Boats and Jazzy Music: What's happening this week in the Blue Water Area

From Sanilac County to St. Clair and points beyond, the Blue Water Area has quite a few things to see and do this weekend.

This Friday & Saturday, August 17th & 18th take a stroll back in time at the Antique Boat and Vintage Show in Port Sanilac. The annual festival features a wide array of antique and classic boats and these beautiful wood vessels are a must see if you appreciate craftsmanship. Tin Can Tourists will also be setting up their unique campers in the Harbor Park, adjacent to the Port Sanilac marina.

If you are going to be checking out the show on Friday, you have the rare opportunity of taking a tour of the Port Sanilac Lighthouse between 11AM and 3PM too.

Speaking of lighthouse tours. On Saturdays, hop on the boat taxi and take a tour of the Harbor Beach light. Tours run from 9AM to Noon through September 22nd (weather permitting of course.)

The Fort Gratiot Light Station in Port Huron is also open for tours each day through September 3rd from 10AM to 5pm.

The sounds of jazz fill the air this Saturday at St. Clair's Palmer Park.

The 3rd Annual St. Clair Jazz Festival features the music of Detroit based and world-renowned flutist Alexzander Zonjic, jazz/funk guitarist Jeff Lorber and many more. This free festival starts at 1PM and runs to 9pm.

Events in the weeks to come include Hot Wheels Weekend in Marysville, St. Clair County Farm Museum Harvest Festival in Goodells and Lexington's Maragarita Fest. Find out about them and plenty more at our events page.

Treasure Hunt Along the Blue Water Coast

The Blue Water Area and all of Michigan's Thumb will see a lot of hunters this weekend. Bargain Hunters that is as it is time for the 16th annual Yard Sale Trail. 

Starting in New Baltimore and Clay Township to the south and Port Austin and on to Sebawaing to the north, the trail covers around 200 miles of yard and garage sales on along M-25 and M-29 on Michigan's eastern coast.

From kitsch to classics and everything in between can be found along the route which begins about 8 a.m. and lasts throughout the weekend.

M-25 and M-29 are state highways and will be busy and law enforcement offer a few bits of advice for those shopping and checking out the trail.

• Give vehicles in front of you a more bit of extra space as many will be slowing down and pulling over to check out the many locations having sales  
• Pay extra attention to pedestrians crossing the highway. There will be many out there and some may be in a blind spot.
• Don’t park near intersections as it can obstruct other drivers vision for a time to cross the road.
• Remember that drivers cannot park on a fog line or be over the fog line in the road, or park less than 15 feet from a fire hydrant.  

If your adventure on the sale trail finds you in Harbor Beach on Saturday, check out AG Venture Day where you can stroll the downtown streets to get up close to the equipment and talk with local farmers.

Along with the Yard Sale Trail during the day this weekend, there are quite a few live shows happening in the evening. On the theater scene, The Port Huron Civic Theater presents Footloose at McMorran Place, The Citadel Stage has a production of Shakespeare's MacBeth and the Riverbank Theatre In Marine City hosts the Dixie Swim Club.

Live music this week includes Magic Bus: Sounds of the Woodstock Era at Port Huron's Rockin' The Rivers on Thursday and Detroit blues legend Thornetta Davis plays a free show in Lexington's Tierney Park on Friday.

Looking towards next weekend Port Sanilac has their Antique Boat and Vintage Show and St. Clair hosts their annual jazz festival.

Find out more about all the things to see and do when you Discover The Blue at our events page.